Using an Arduino UNO, a WiFly Shield, a GoPro Hero 2, a three-axis accelerometer and lots of other bits and bobs that do important stuff, Kelly was able to turn a Tamiya Mini M05 R/C car into an analog arcade racer. The toy car connects to its base station via Wi-Fi, allowing it to be controlled wirelessly via a variety of controllers (including a steering wheel) and in return send a live first-person – first-toy car? – view as well as force feedback. He can even set it so that the camera pans in sync with the steering.

Want to know how to make your own Arduino WiFly Mini? You’re in luck: Kelly has a staggeringly comprehensive how-to on his website that is longer than the entire Harry Potter series. It was a compelling read. I couldn’t put it down. I like the part where Kelly realized he should be putting a series of instructions into one packet instead of sending packets with each instruction so the method more greatly resembles a PPM stream.

[via Make:]

Okay, simple is a relative term. Sure, it requires some basic modding skills, but it shouldn’t be too difficult. You’ll need to do a lot of fitting, wiring, and soldering work on your controller to get all the components to fit inside. You’ll be cramming in a power switch, emitter, and an LED power indicator.

If you play with your vintage console a lot, this should be well worth it so that you can gain some freedom. Check out more pics of this build over on imgur, and schematics which should work for the SNES, NES, N64 and SEGA Saturn at this link.

[via GoNintendo via Gizmodo]

The CeraAIR Two speakers can be mounted either horizontally or vertically on your walls. A Class-D amplifier drives the two bass/midrange speakers with 64 watts each and the two tweeters with 32 watts each, so it’s more than enough to fill up your room with music. The speaker also has a subwoofer out if you crave extra bass. Is also plays Internet Radio and digital audio files wirelessly or through a wired Ethernet connection. Total dimensions for the speaker are appx. 23″(w) x 6″(h) x 6″(d).

The CeraAIR Two speaker isn’t cheap, though. It retails for €599 (~$780 USD) and is available in silver, black, gold, high-gloss white, high-gloss black and custom RAL colors upon request over at Ceratec Direct.

[via Ubergizmo]

If you can relate, then you’d also probably be interested in the U Grok It.

It has a weird name but a pretty neat purpose. Here’s how it works: you stick a tiny RFID tag on objects that you lose on a regular basis, add them to your list of items, and locate them using the U Grok It receiver when you need to find them.

The U Grok It has a range of about six to ten feet and signals just how close you are to finding whatever it is you’re looking for with beeping signals. The closer you are, the louder and faster the beeps will be.

U Grok It plans to conduct an initial test run with 1,000 units, with full-scale production scheduled for 2013. No prices have been announced yet, but the devices is said to be around $100(USD) while each RFID tag will be sold for $1.

[via Boing Boing via Dvice]

My personal favorite though would have to be the Genius Ring mouse because of its portability and usefulness. And then there’s the Ion Wireless Air Mouse.

I won’t deny that the Air Mouse looks cool. It conjures up images of futuristic movies where computer screens are gigantic and look like they were just made of glass. But I have to say that it looks complicated to use and seems like a less convenient option than a regular mouse in the long run.

Imagine having to put on a glove-like contraption each time you use your computer. Think of the time you’ll have to spend learning how to use the mouse while you move your fingers here or there to make sure you got it right. And then you’ve got to wonder why you’d bother with a glove when you can use optical gesture controllers like the Kinect.

That said, the Air Mouse surely has its niche. If you don’t mind having to put a glove on each time you need to click on stuff, then it might be the mouse for you. It’s available from Bellco for $79.95 (USD).

[EverythingUSB via SlashGear]

As you can see in the picture above, you can add devices and change your network’s password without a web browser. You can even go on the Internet on the router itself! That will come in handy when you’re testing or troubleshooting your network. Booredatwork got a quick hands-on of the Almond at CES 2012:

The Almond isn’t perfect though. It only has two LAN ports and Gear Patrol reports it only supports the wireless-N protocol – a combination that leaves out a lot of devices if true. However, Securifi’s spec sheet says it supports 802.11 b/g/n – so you’ll want to verify that before you order one. I’m pretty sure Securifi will launch a higher-end model after Almond though, which should be available this March for $70(USD). No word if it’ll get Angry Birds.

[Securifi via Gear Patrol]

You might have done a little double take because of how unreal it sounds: An antenna you can spray on?

But Chamtech’s co-founder Anthony Sutera claims it might just be the solution to everyone’s bad reception woes. In the video presentation about the product, he explained: “We have come up with a material that when you spray it on, it lays out just in the right pattern and all of these little capacitors charge and discharge extremely quickly in real time and they don’t create any heat.”

Sounds like some sort of miracle product, but does it work? One of the results from Chamtech’s tests revealed that an RFID chip with a 5-foot range was turned into an RFID chip with a 700-foot range. There are also reports that the United States government is also looking into this technology.

For something that sounds incredibly groundbreaking, one can only wonder what could be the possible side effects of such a substance. I know I am.

[via NeoWIN via Cnet]

The Energy Stream Radio&TV 120 has built-in Wi-Fi and can stream music from over 15,000 internet radio stations and over 2,000 internet TV channels. In addition, it’s can play a wide variety of audio and video formats through its internal speaker (or headphones) and its 2.4-inch LCD screen. It’s got 4GB of on-board storage, and can be expanded up to 16GB extra using a MicroSDHC card.

Energy Sistem hasn’t posted its dimensions or weight, but the entire device is clearly small enough to carry around in your backpack or bag, though it looks like it might be a little big to fit in your pocket.

If you’re interested in the Energy Stream Radio&TV 120, it sells for €89.90 (~$119 USD) over at Energy Sistem’s website.

Unlike the Apple and Microsoft mice, the M600 does not support multi-touch gestures. Think of it as a basic trackpad in a mouse’s body – you can point, click, scroll and swipe anywhere on its surface. Nothing more, nothing less. The M600 does make up for its simplicity with a practical feature. The M600 can run on either one or two AA batteries. Put one battery in and you’ll be able to mouse around for three months; add a spare one and you’ll get twice the amount. You can think of it as either having the ability to run at half the power or store extra power. Both sound good in my book of good sounding thoughts. One other thing to keep in mind is that Logitech currently lists the M600 as Windows 7 only, so Mac users will need to stick with the Magic Mouse for now.

Point and click to Logitech’s website to pre-order the Touch Mouse M600 for $70 (USD). Yes, batteries are included.

[via SlashGear]

The RS 220 use the audio tech from Sennheiser’s popular HD 600 series, which by themselves retail for $519.95, and pair them with an uncompressed digital signal sent over a 2.4GHz connection, using DSSS technology. This is supposed to maintain audio fidelity up to 300 feet away (line of sight), even in environments with lots of wireless devices. Range is decreased to about 100 feet if you’re dealing with wall and other obstacles, though.

Headphone specs include a frequency response from 16 to 22,000 Hz, a maximum SPL of 106db, and a S/N ratio of 90 db and less than 0.1% THD. Battery life for the ‘phones is rated at appx. 6 to 8 hours on a charge. Analog, coaxial, and optical inputs are built into the transmitter, which also doubles as a recharging dock.

The RS 220 headphones retail for $599.95 (USD). Anyone wanting some higher-end wireless headphones should definitely add these to their evaluation list.

[via Uncrate]

When placed on your desk, the wireless Cube controller lets you control your cursor much like you would your smartphone’s touchscreen. They don’t describe it as a multitouch trackpad, though it sounds sort of like one to me. When you get up to give a presentation, just lift the Cube up off of your desktop, and it switches into presentation mode.

In this mode, it appears to use a motion sensor to determine which direction you want to navigate in your presentation. Clicking the top of the Cube advances slides, while flipping the mouse over goes back a slide. Keep in mind that it doesn’t function as pointer once you lift it from the desk like some of they gyroscopic mice out there, it only navigates between slides.

The Cube is compatible with both PCs and Macs too, and connects using their tiny, proprietary USB Unifying Receiver technology. The Logitech Cube will be available in both black and white, and is expected to be released sometime this month, and will retail for $69.99 (USD).

CloudFTP is a USB adapter that has two functions: it allows you to wirelessly access data from a USB storage device, and it can also back up the data from a USB storage device to a cloud service. CloudFTP is very portable – it’s about as big as a deck of cards, weighs only 3.8oz, and has an internal battery that can power external hard drives for up to 5 hours.

It goes without saying that the CloudFTP needs access to a wireless network so it can back up your data, but you don’t need an Internet connection to use it to stream media or use it as an FTP server. Here’s Chin with more on the device:

Ride a Kintoun Cloud to Kickstarter and pay $69 (USD) to be one of the first to get a CloudFTP device; Chin says it will retail for $100, so that’s a considerable amount of savings right there. My only complaint, if I could even call it that, is that Chin – who already owns a successful tech company – is likely not as fiscally challenged as many of the other people who use Kickstarter to raise funds. Then again, it’s not like he’s forcing people to pledge for his device.

[via GadgetReview]

I suppose if the phone packs the right tech, like VOIP and computer-compatibility, it might be useful, albeit somewhat cumbersome. The donut shape and concealed keyboard and display are interesting, but the phone takes up much more space than a regular handset.

To me, the Eclipse looks more like something you’d want to display as a piece of art rather than use as a phone.

The Eclipse DECT phone was designed by Sebastien Sauvage.  For now, it’s just a concept.

[via Yanko Design]

The system is in the prototype stage right now and is called Universal Control. The way it works is that your TV or set-top box has to be Internet enabled, so that the BBC can send out synchronized Wi-Fi signals to the miniature Daleks. Their experimentation involved two-foot-tall Daleks, with information encoded into the video of a Doctor Who episode.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I’m going to assume that their intentions are good and that they just want to make neat toys. At least I hope that the Beeb isn’t planning world domination by putting Daleks in our living rooms. (Un)fortunately, the BBC says it’s not planning on releasing these to the general public anytime soon.

The app allows you to remotely snap stills and videos, and also lets you adjust the settings, such as white balance, focus, and camera angle. Photos can be immediately uploaded and shared from inside the app.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The camera comes with a built-in kickstand and a standard horseshoe mount for tripods. There’s also suction cup and magnetic mounts which allow it to stick to a variety of surfaces.

The camera itself doesn’t have a screen of its own, and is designed solely for remote use. The camera can also become an ad-hoc surveillance camera.

There’s no word yet on when you’ll be able to purchase the MMI camera, but Leviteh does have a Flash demo of the App up on his website if you’d like to check it out.

[via designboom]

Beacon for Android uses hardware and an app to control your home entertainment system.The hardware part connects wirelessly to your tablet or smartphone using Bluetooth. It then turns the BT commands your phone sends out into IR commands your home theater gear can understand. The app has a database of 200,000 devices that it can control, and also has an integrated guide that tells you more about the programs and tells you what is on.

You can buy Beacon for either Android or iOS now for $69.99 (USD) over at the Griffin website.

At just 0.22″ thick, it’s supposed to be the world’s thinnest keyboard, but that’s not quite true since the Hatch & Co. SKINNY is only 0.07″ thick. Still, it’s probably a bit more comfortable to use, since they’re actual keys, and not touch-sensitive like the SKINNY.

The E6300 keyboard measures just about 3.1″ × 8.1″, so it’s quite compact. The Rapoo’s keyboard is rechargeable with a charge lasting up to a month.

It was designed to work well with iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth, and you can get one for $39.99 (USD) over at Focalprice.

[via GeekAlerts]

Aside from an iPhone 4S and Siri, the setup consists of an INSTEON thermostat, an INSTEON appliance module, a home automation software called Indigo running on a Mac Mini, Twilio, a voice and text client, and a Node.js app. As you might have guessed, Siri doesn’t actually do any of the heavy lifting here. The process goes like this: Ask Siri to send a text message to the Twilio number – CDeutsch saved it in his Contacts as ‘Gladys’ as a nod to Portal – e.g. “Tell Gladys to turn off the bedroom fan.” Twilio sends the text to the Node.js app – i.e. it is Gladys – which will then analyze the message.

To make it more Siri-like, CDeutsch “wrote some semi-fuzzy logic” so that you can use plain speak to relay your commands. The Node.js app will then send the instruction to the Indigo server, and finally the INSTEON turns off the fan or whatever it is that CDeutsch commanded. Before you get unnecessarily blown away, that is not CDeutsch in the picture. That’s probably his daughter. Also his demo doesn’t really prove anything:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

There are plenty of ways in which that fan could have been turned on that doesn’t involve a complicated automated system. I’m not saying I don’t believe CDeutsch, but I do hope he posts some more videos showing his setup and how it’s all done. But if you’re sold, you can contact him and he’ll gladly make a similar automated system tailored to your needs. Assuming you already have an iPhone 4S of course.

[via CDeutsch's Blog via Unpluggd]

This unique “heads-up” display offers color-coded LEDs help you keep track of your heart rate and pace without looking down at a watch or other electronic gadget. The gadget clips onto pretty much any pair of sunglasses, and tucks in neatly along the arm between your ear and lens. Sportiiiis communicates wirelessly with ANT+ compatible devices such as a wrist-worn heart-rate monitor or bike cadence sensor, and provides quick visual feedback, and alert you when you drift outside of your targets.

For instance, a green light in the middle indicates you’re right at the perfect heart rate, while amber or red LEDs to the edges tell you if you’re too high or too low from your ideal heart rate or running pace. Special software for Mac, PC or smartphones will allow you to set up workout profiles for your Sportiiiis to monitor. A small tap on the side of the device will also provide an audible heart-rate cue, and double-tapping lets you flip between multiple paired sensors.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Sportiiiis should be available some time later in November, and will retail for $199 (USD). Sunglasses and remote sensors not included, though.

[via Gizmag via Crave]

The Batman: Arkham City game was just released on Oct. 18th, so the time is right to pick up one of these babies and talk in Christian Bale’s gravelly voice while you play. What, I’m the only one planning on doing that?

Grab either the Xbox 360 or PS3 version for $49.99 (USD) each.

[via Devicemag]